Jerry “Smokey” Chism passed away on January 19, 2022, at the age of 88. He moved to Colorado Springs from Oklahoma City in 2006.
Jerry was born on November 23, 1933, in Duncan, Oklahoma, to James and Vivian (Wharton) Chism. He married Gloria (Zalansky) Johnson on August 12, 2006.
He had a strong work ethic, and held a variety of occupations. He worked in the restaurant industry, at The Rib, which was owned by his dad, and The Patio, which he owned with his brother John. He also worked as an ice man, a milk man, and a Coors man. He got the nickname of Smokey when he smoked ribs for a grocery store. He even sold Christmas trees!
Jerry didn’t watch much TV, until college football season started. He was an enthusiastic fan of the Oklahoma Sooners and the teams of the Big 12 conference, and an avid reader, of newspapers (every word!), murder mysteries, and books about the Blessed Virgin Mary. He enjoyed working sudoku and jigsaw puzzles, too.
He thoroughly enjoyed listening to the old-time country music, especially from the 1930s and 1940s. Two of his favorite artists were Hank Williams and Bob Wills. He liked to tell the story of meeting Grandpa Jones in person at a concert, which hadn’t been very well attended. Grandpa Jones joined Jerry’s party between sets, and bought margaritas for everyone.
His faith was very important to him. He attended daily Mass at Holy Apostles, where many people said they enjoyed hearing his enthusiastic responses to the prayers. And every afternoon at 3 o’clock was prayer time, for the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and the Rosary. He participated in the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration program at Holy Apostles every Thursday afternoon from 3 to 4 with his wife Gloria. He was very devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and said that, when he got to heaven, he wanted to be her slave. Whenever he would go to a store that sold Catholic goods, he used to purchase a number of holy cards to give out; that was his way of evangelizing.
Jerry was a very friendly person, and greeted people with “How you percolating?” (Some of the younger generation had no idea what he was talking about.) When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would say he was “standing in tall cotton”, and “I’ll never see another bad day, if I die tonight.” If a problem of any sort arose, he would say, “Don’t worry about the mule, just load the wagon.” If he was asked what he would do after a setback of any kind, he said he would “keep on plowing”.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Gloria (Zalansky Johnson) Chism; his children, Linda Garcia (Abel), Tracy Chism (Jennifer), Theresa Chism, and Angela Buzbee; his brothers, John and Michael Chism; and his sister, Cathy Roth. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Lori Garcia, AJ Garcia, Zachery Olson, Joshua Olson, and Melissa Menefee, and three great-grandchildren, Damion Apodaca, Deanna Sotelo, and Grace Menefee. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Vivian (Wharton) Chism, his sister Judy Rogers, his first wife and the mother of his children, Louise Chism, and his second wife, Lavonna Chism.
Services will be held at Holy Apostles Catholic Church on Friday, February 11, 2022, beginning at 10:20 a.m. with the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, followed by the rosary. The funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. There will be a reception following the Mass at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in honor of Jerry to Holy Apostles Catholic Church, the local Humane Society, or the charity of the giver’s choice.